Hogan's heroes
by Glossina
Summary: At the end of his life, Hogan talks to his men and tells them how he feels about them.  Warning: Character dying.


Kinch got the call at 5:00 a.m. "Doesn't anybody know what time it is?" he grumbled when the phone rang. But when he reflected on it later, he thought that such calls always came this early in the morning.

" 'Lo?" he mumbled sleepily.

"Kinch?" the accented voice said worriedly.

"Peter?" Kinch said in surprise, instantly awake.

"Kinch. We're all on our way. I think you should come to", Newkirk said softly.

"Have you called the others?" Kinch asked in the same soft tones as his friend.

"They're on their way", Newkirk said. He gave a quiet, sad laugh. "This will be my first visit to the United States".

"I'll meet you in Connecticut", Kinch sighed. He hung up the phone and got up. There was no point in trying to sleep anymore. He took a quick shower and got dressed. After a light breakfast, he packed and then headed to the airport.

It had been thirty years since the liberation of Stalag 13 and they were losing one of their own. They still had time but that time was quickly running out.

Kinch arrived in Connecticut later that same night. He looked around and the first face he saw was Andrew Carter. He approached him and the two men embraced.

Kinch was amazed to see the difference in the younger man. Carter was no longer the same kid he had met all those years before.

"Your hair is gray", Carter said as he took Kinch's suitcase from him and headed out to the street so they could catch a cab.

"And you've lost most of yours", Kinch said as he leaned heavily on the cane in his right hand.

Carter smiled tiredly and it was then that Kinch fully took in the wrinkles on the other man's face.

"How is he?" Kinch asked.

Carter shrugged as the cab pulled up and stopped. They got in and gave the driver dirrections. The driver pulled away and Kinch leaned back in the seat and closed his eyes. "I can't believe this is happening", he sighed tiredly.

They rode the rest of the way in silence, neither man knowing what to say.

The cab pulled up to a small, gray house about a half hour later. They got out and waited while the driver got their luggage from the trunk and gave it to them. Then, they paid him his fee and tipped him generously. The driver thanked them and drove off, leaving them standing on the sidewalk.

"Let's go in", Kinch said in a slightly tense voice.

Carter nodded and grabbed both bags and headed up the walk with Kinch following behind.

Kinch hesitated when they got to the door and then he switched his cane to his left hand and knocked on the door with his right.

The door opened up and a still beautiful woman in her sixties opened the door.

"Hi, Tiger", Kinch said kindly.

"Kinch?" she said. Then she opened the door and ushered them in. The three of them stood in the entry of the house looking at each other for a minute and then Tiger started to cry.

Kinch pulled her into a hug and held for a little bit untill she could calm herself.

"He's not...?" Kinch couldn't bring himself to finish the question.

"No, he's sleeping right now", Tiger said softly.

Kinch nodded and finally released her from his embrace and she went to Carter, who had put down the suitcases and she hugged him too.

"I'm so glad you could come", she said softly.

"We wouldn't be anywhere else right now", Carter said in a manner similar to Kinch's.

"Pierre and Louis should be here tomorrow", Tiger said as she looked helplessly around the room, at a loss for something to say at the moment.

Kinch nodded. "We can stay at a hotel tonight", he offered.

"Nonsense", Tiger said, more sharply then she had intended. She softened her tone and expression then. "He would want you close by right now".

She showed them to a room where there were two twin beds. "You can stay in here", she offered.

They unpacked quickly and then went into the living room to visit with their hostess for a while. Finally, when it looked like Hogan would sleep through the night, they both went to bed.

Early the next morning, Tiger woke them up. "Pierre and Louis are at the airport", she said softly. "Would you take my car and go get them?"

Kinch nodded. "We'll get dressed and then we'll take off".

Ten minutes later, they were in the car and headed down to the Bridgeport airport.

They parked the car and went into the terminal and waited. Almost another ten minutes had passed when they saw an unliklely looking pair heading towards them.

"Kinch, Andre", the smaller of the two cried out.

Kinch looked and saw Louis Lebeau, his hair white with age but the same sparkle in his eyes and the same dimpled smile on his face.

Peter Newkirk followed along behind, using a walker. "They're a sorry lookin pair", he said as he reached them.

"You don't look any better", Kinch teased back as he took in the slight paunch on the englishman and the white hair that was crowning his head.

Newkirk grinned and released the handles of his walker and then hugged his two friends.

Lebeau sat aside the suit cases he was carrying and rushed at Carter and hugged him tightly. Then, he did the same with Kinch.

Kinch laughed and bent down a little to hug the smaller man, who seemed to have shrunk even more with time.

But after their initial greetings were over, they became more serious.

"How is he?" Lebeau asked.

"He's holding his own", Kinch said. "He was still asleep when we left to get you guys".

"Let's go", Newkirk said abruptly. "I want to see for meself".

Kinch nodded and took them out to the car. They loaded the bags and then got in.

Kinch drove them back to Hogan's house and then went up the walk.

When they got to the door, Tiger opened it up and ushered them in.

"He's awake", she said in a hushed tone. "He just had his breakfast so he should last for a while". As she spoke, she hugged Newkirk and Lebeau. Then she thanked them for coming.

"We had to", Lebeau said. "We are his family".

Tiger smiled and ran a hand through her hair to straighten it. "Take off your coats and I will take you to him", she ordered.

All four men hung up their coats on the hooks in the entry way and then followed Tiger to the back most bedroom.

Robert Hogan sat up in bed, propped up by several pillows.

Hogan stared uncomprehendingly at first when they first walked in but then he reached over to a bedside table and picked up a pair of glasses and put them on. When he realized who it was, a large smile crossed his face and he beckoned them in.

The four men came in and settled them selves around the room.

"I can't believe you all made it here", Hogan said in a voice that cracked with age.

"We had to come, sir", Kinch said softly.

Hogan nodded and then looked over at Tiger. "Can we have a little time alone?" he asked gently.

Tiger smiled. "Of course, my dear", she said. Then she turned and left the room, closing the door behind her.

As soon as it was just them, Hogan turned and studied the other men in the room. "I'm dying", he said flatly. "I have days left. I wanted to see you but I didn't know if you could make it in time".

His men started to protest but Hogan waived them off. "Don't try to kid a kidder", he said firmly. "I have advanced cancer. There's no way to treat it. However...that's not what I wanted to talk to you about".

"Then what is?" Kinch asked gently.

Hogan doubled over suddenly and began coughing violently.

Kinch reached over and carefully patted Hogan on the back while Lebeau got him a drink of water.

Hogan took the glass and sipped the water and was able to get his coughing under control. "Thanks", he said shakily. But then he studied his friends again. "I wanted to tell you guys how much you mean to me", he said. "I've never told you and I think you should know that now".

He looked Kinch up and down and smiled slightly. "You are my best friend", he said simply. "I remember when I first met you. You were so unsure of how I would recieve you. But when I looked at you, I didn't see your color and even if I had, it wouldn't have mattered to me. When I looked at you, all I saw was a man. I saw a man that was good and kind and honorable. I saw the man that would become the best friend I ever had, a man worthy of being my second in command".

He looked at Carter next. "When I saw you for the first time, I saw this kid. This kid who would trip over his own feet everytime he walked across the room and would open his mouth and let all kinds of secrets spill out. But I couldn't be more proud of the man that you grew up into. Through all that you went through there, you managed to stay good and kind and gentle. I don't think many people can claim that and I couldn't be more proud of you if you were my own son".

He turned to look at Newkirk next. "When I first met you, I thought I'd have to put a lock on my door to keep you from running off with the entire room. But when I took a closer look at you, I saw a man that had a golden heart to him. I saw a man who professed to be a coward but willingly stuck his neck out for his buddies every chance he got. I saw a man of honor and courage. I saw a man that I was proud to call my friend".

Finally, his gaze turned to Lebeau and he beckoned the little frenchman closer.

Lebeau came and sat on the edge of the bed. "Oui, colonel?" he asked in a quivering voice.

Hogan smiled and reached over to pat Lebeau on the knee. "When I first looked at you, I was a little worried and almost didn't take you onto my team. You were so small that I was concerned for your safety. But then I took another look at you and I saw somebody that was ten feet tall. What you lack in size, you more than make up for in heart and courage. I saw you face up to people that were twice your size and you never flinched, never backed down, never shirked your duty to your friends or the team. And never once, did you back down in your duty to me. I'm so glad that I came to my senses and took another look at you and realized that I almost passed up on the chance to make one of the most fiercely loyal friends I've ever had".

He patted Lebeau on the knee again and then studied his friends carefully one more time.

"I'm very proud of all of you", he said quietly. "I'm proud to have you as friends and I'm proud to have you as my brothers. I wanted you to know that all of you are heroes in my eyes. In short, I love you guys and I just wanted you to know that".

There was a knock at the door just then and it opened to reveal the nurse that came everyday to help Tiger.

"Alright, gentlemen", the nurse said firmly. "Mr. Hogan needs his rest so you need to go".

Typically, Newkirk, Carter and Lebeau started to protest and just as typically, Kinch quieted them and ushered them out of the room.

They went into the living room then and sat around with Tiger, waiting and talking...and waiting some more.


End file.
